With a tide of explosive wrestlers flooding the Octagon, the top figures in the sport to slam down their verdicts on why wrestling is a recipe for success.
What do Cain Velasquez, Brock Lesnar, Rashad Evans, Chael Sonnen, Jon Fitch, Josh Koscheck and Gray Maynard all have in common?
Not only are they all MMA mainstays of any reputable top-five list in their respective weight divisions, but are all former NCAA Division 1 wrestlers.
There is no questioning the impact wrestlers have made in the Octagon over the years.
From the UFC's formative days when Dan Severn and Kevin Randleman were slamming their way to glory against unsuspecting strikers and ground practitioners, to the modern era of well-rounded champions such as Jon Jones and Georges St Pierre, who use their wrestling combined with an array of technical skills to completely dictate the fight.
But why are wrestlers so successful in the cage?
“The intensity of wrestling is the closest thing to MMA,” states the legendary Cael Sanderson, head wrestling coach at Pennsylvania State University. Amassing an unrivaled 159-0 record in four years at Iowa State and winning a gold medal in men's freestyle wrestling at the 2004 Olympics, Sanderson knows a thing or two about the intensity and dedication required for a wrestler to succeed.
“To excel in wrestling you have to love to train hard and love to compete,” he says.
“That's the most important thing wrestling teaches and with that mentality it’s going to be easier to make a transition into MMA.”
Despite the determination a wrestler delivers, Sanderson believes that wrestlers and MMA warriors share more sinister characteristics that enable grapplers to unleash the fury come fight night.
“The unique quality that stands out the most is that they are mean,” he laughs. “They are gentlemen outside the ring or when they aren’t on the mat, but they enjoy inflicting pain in competition.
It takes this unique mind-set to make it into MMA and all successful wrestlers have it.”
“I completely agree, it's all about the confidence instilled into wrestlers from a young age to create that mean streak,” says Tom Minkel, head wrestling coach at Michigan State University.
Minkel is not only a former member of the 1980 US Olympic wrestling team but has also been teaching at MSU for 20 years, producing 36 All-Americans and perhaps, most notably, UFC fighters Gray Maynard and Rashad Evans.
“To build confidence wrestlers are taught to deal with that fear of failure. Rashad would call me the night before his wrestling match to talk to me about the fear of failure and the fear of making mistakes,” says Minkel. “I'd reinforce positivity into him through visualization techniques where you're thinking about what you're going to do instead of what you might do wrong. You think about things going great, where you're winning and fighting the way you want to fight.”
UFC light heavyweight Phil 'Mr Wonderful' Davis is a former NCAA Division 1 wrestler and is currently riding a five-fight winning streak in the UFC. He is just one of the growing crop of wrestlers surging the ranks of MMA's biggest promotion who's keen to testify wrestling's ability to shape a winning attitude.
“I absolutely believe wrestling has prepared me mentally for the UFC,” says Davis. “The mind-set of wrestlers is we just do everything intensely. To be a successful wrestler you have to be intense, you have to be a gym rat and live and breathe it.
Back when I was training we were pushed to the point of being sick.
I treated my job as a wrestler like a regular job. I was in the gym even if I had a fever, still practicing. I was in the gym until I physically could not practice anymore.”
Of course, it's not just the mental game that prepares wrestlers for war and glory in the battlefields of mixed martial arts; wrestlers also have many physical and technical abilities to help them dominate in the cage.
“From the technical side you spend a lot of time in collegiate wrestling on the mat defending yourself or attacking.
Fundamentally, a lot of things are the same as in MMA,” adds Minkel. “Wrestling's a unique sport in the fact there's so much discipline, so much conditioning and power.
If you're going to be successful in college or at the Olympic level you have to be a very powerful, well-rounded athlete.
You gotta be flexible. You've gotta have great takedown defense and be able to control and dictate where your opponent goes.
These are all great foundations for MMA.”
“Also, wrestling's a control sport,” adds Sanderson.
“Wrestlers learn to control and neutralize their opponents on their feet and on the mat and they can bring this control into the Octagon.”
While he may be revered as one of the greatest wrestlers of all time, Sanderson's also a huge fan of MMA.
“It's hard not to be a fan, it's the ultimate competition,” he says.
“MMA has given wrestling a lot of credibility and visibility. I think there are more and more wrestlers who have MMA in the back of their mind nowadays with the opportunity to compete in the UFC. Even at Penn State, where I exclusively teach wrestling, on a light day or as part of warm up it’s not uncommon for our wrestlers to playfully try to tap each other out.”
Minkel has witnessed similar things at Michigan State.
"One of my freshmen has MMA aspirations,” he says. “There is the attitude where it'll be in a wrestler's mind that if they do well in wrestling they have an opportunity to branch into MMA.
Wrestling and MMA have been great for one another. Wrestling is a great feeder system for athletes to gain global recognition within MMA. Also, the fact that MMA is growing helps reinforce the values and skills wrestlers learn in college like dedication, tenacity and hard work.”
There's no ignoring the fact MMA is attracting a lot of high-caliber wrestlers, and who can blame them?
With superstardom beckoning and lucrative contracts, it overshadows the financial struggles wrestlers experience.
“The appeal in the UFC is so strong with fighters like Gray, Rashad and Randy. Wrestling is a great sport but it hasn't been able to capture the audience like MMA has,” says Minkel.
“The problem is there's no financial side in wrestling whereas MMA can prove very fruitful. I remember competing in the Olympics and it made me broke. An athlete can make a good living out of MMA and really make a name for themselves.”
While pride and satisfaction may be the only reward for the fruits of a wrestler's labor, the global giant that is the UFC will continue to offer wrestlers a chance of the high life and deliver some of the greatest talent the sport has ever witnessed; a sad fact for wrestling, but a blessing for MMA.
Wrestling Drills
Use these essential drills, compiled by some of America's most established wrestling trainers and Olympic medalists, to get a gable grip on your grappling game.
Beginner Zeke Jones' Hip Drills
>DRILL 1
1: Keeping his back straight Alex (white shirt) rests his neck in Joe's hands, who takes his weight.
2: Joe quickly releases, forcing Alex to twist his body round.
3: Alex lands palms down on the ground in the sprawl position.
>DRILL 2
1: Joe leans backwards and plants his arm onto the ground.
2: Joe then uses his hips and legs to explode off the ground, keeping his weight on one hand.
3: Joe flips his body over and around, keeping his hand planted on the ground.
4: Joe lands with both feet on the ground at the same time.
>DRILL 3
1: Alex starts on his back, lifting his body with both hands on the ground. He drives with both feet to move backwards.
2: Alex tucks up and pulls his hips under his body, so his feet travel between his hands in one continuous fluid movement with minimal contact with the mat. 3: Alex's feet pass all the way under and through leaving him planted in the sprawl position.
Barry Davis' Spinning Drill
1: Alex sprawls with Joe in turtle position.
2: Alex uses Joe's body to pivot, forcing his weight onto his core as he uses his feet to maneuver around Joe's body, staying on his toes.
3: Alex spins round so his torso pushes against Joe's back.
4: Alex returns back to the start position using the same technique. He then moves around the opposite side of Joe and repeats.
Barry Davis' Pummeling Drill
1: Joe and Alex are in the 50/50 clinch with overhooks and underhooks, pressing their bodyweight into one another.
2: Alternate angle: See Alex's overhook and underhook.
3: The pair both fish for an underhook on their overhook side.
4: The fighters bump chests as each finishes in the opposite of their start position.
5: Both then start the process again, swapping their overhooks to underhooks.
6: Both clash chests and end up back in the start position then repeat. Note: The drill can be performed 'live' with each person providing resistance and using the handles they have obtained to maneuver their partner as they search for double underhooks.
Intermediate Bobby Douglas' Penetration Drill
1: Joe holds Alex off at arms length to find his distance.
2: Joe lowers his body level and shoots under Alex's legs.
3: Joe drives his body through Alex's legs in one fluid movement.
4: Joe stands back up as fast as possible and returns to start position to repeat.
Cael Sanderson's Wrist Control Ankle Pick
1: Alex controls Joe's wrist while clinching the back of his neck.
2: Alex can now control Joe by pulling on the back of his neck or pushing/pulling on the wrist. Because of this, Alex is able to quickly drive Joe backwards.
3: Alex then pulls Joe forward making Joe off-balance and also bringing him into range. 4 Alex releases the wrist and switches to Joe's ankle.
5: Alex anchors Joe's ankle while driving his own body weight forward, maintaining neck control, and pushing Joe back onto the mat.
Advanced Martin Rooney's Partner Flip-over
1: With his partner in the bridge position, Alex rests his body on his partner's back with his arms hooked under for support.
2: Using his legs to explode, Alex drives his weight upwards maintaining his grip around his partner's waist.
3: Alex fully flips over his partner.
4: Alex lands with both feet on the ground at the same time.
5: Using his hips, Alex thrusts one leg into the air shortly followed by the other, spurring himself back over his partner.
6: Alex flips back over his partner and returns to his starting position.
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